April 19
Opinion Dynamics to Support Development of Clean Heat Standard
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Member News
Opinion Dynamics has been selected by the Vermont Public Utility Commission to support the development of the Vermont Clean Heat Standard. As the technical consultant to the Commission, Opinion Dynamics will be responsible for developing clean heat measure characterizations and aiding the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and the Vermont Public Utility Commission in designing and implementing the standard.
A recent Department of Energy (DOE) report found that by deploying between 80 to 160 gigawatts of virtual power plants by 2030, U.S. grid capacity could expand to support ongoing global electrification efforts. This strategy can in turn defer the more than $2.5 trillion in upgrades by 2035 needed for the U.S. grid, resulting in lower bills for customers while enhancing energy security and grid resiliency.
Washington State’s Snohomish County PUD recently announced the launch of Tree Relief for Energy Efficiency Power, a pilot program designed to provide funding support for selected tree-planting projects in public green spaces and urban areas. The goal of these projects is to help promote energy efficiency by reducing the heat retention of buildings and pavement to mitigate air conditioning loads.
This week, CLEAResult released its 2023 Sustainability Report, detailing the significant impact of the company’s commitment to emissions-reducing solutions in the U.S. and Canada. Since its founding in 2003, CLEAResult has averted a remarkable 133 million metrics tons of CO2. The report contains comprehensive insights into CLEAResult’s climate impact, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all scopes, and highlights the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Industry News
A new free tool for contractors and other energy professionals aims to pin down the economic and climate benefits of electrifying homes and commutes – a calculation typically hard to come by. While figuring out the upfront costs of upgrades such as heat pumps is routine for energy pros, estimating their impact on emissions or on a household’s utility bills is much more challenging.
California’s market potential for virtual power plants (VPPs) could hit 7.5 GW by 2035, exceeding 15 percent of peak demand and five times the existing capability, according to a new report from the Brattle Group prepared for GridLab. The report argues that VPPs could create consumer savings of $550 million per year in California by 2035.
Thanks to a new infusion of state funding, three projects benefiting traditionally under-resourced Black, Brown and Indigenous communities in the greater Chicago area have taken one important step closer to fruition. Last week, the Illinois Climate Bank unanimously passed a resolution to authorize loan funds of up to $1.6 million for three community-based solar projects owned by Green Energy Justice Cooperative.
Renewable energy is surging remarkably in the U.S., with solar and wind power installations springing up across the country. A new report from Climate Central tracks the meteoric growth of these clean energy sources over the past decade, painting a clear picture of which states are emerging as renewable powerhouses.
